[Dyn085]

Sorry...i can check our lot for budget cars which we have. My own Mazda CX-9 doesn't do it either. Like I said....it may be considered "normal" but that doesn't mean that that is what the car was supposed to do.

Actually, if it's considered normal then it's exactly what the car was designed to do. It may not be what other cars were designed to do, but that doesn't make it 'not-normal', only 'designed-differently'. I may not like the sound symposer on the FiST compared to the FoST, but just because they're designed differently doesn't make the the FiST 'not-normal'.

OP-I just went out and tried this on both my FiST and FoST, both cars were set to off when I started them so that was their last position, and neither of them did it. With that being said, both cars are set to 69 degrees and ambient temp is 68, and I believe that the close proximity in temperatures is what leads to nothing drastic occurring. I know I've had it happen with both ST's, and I seem to remember it as a characteristic of both of my '12 Mk3 Focuses. I'm pretty sure that if I try it later in the day when it's warmer that I will get the blast of air.

With that being said, this is a ridiculous gripe in the grand scheme of things. There are people concerned with failing engines, transmissions, brakes, oil in their charge pipes/intake, etc, and your worst problem is a few seconds of air blasted in your face that is rectified by taking a split second to reach up with both hands and shut vents prior to turning the system on-it's not like you don't know what's about to happen. There are numerous ways already mentioned in which you could alleviate the specific issue, but your refusal to do them doesn't mean that Ford should redesign the system.

Nonetheless, I hope you can get some resolution. I'm sure someone would love to have a reduced cost on buying a FiST that was condemned for environmental controls as opposed to a car that consistently overheated or any other legitimately worrisome complaint.

 

[Mightymango]

Well I work automotive service and I deal with normal abnormal problems everyday. Part of the problem is no explanation as to why the car is doing what it is doing. Say "well the control module and blend door for the outside air take a few seconds to calibrate and there may be a software update to address this concern in the future" don't just say "normal". Part of th issue is how the op was treated not just the concern.
I have the same issue which annoys the shit out of my wife but not me which is why I haven't done anything about it.

 

[Dyn085]

Well I work automotive service and I deal with normal abnormal problems everyday. Part of the problem is no explanation as to why the car is doing what it is doing. Say "well the control module and blend door for the outside air take a few seconds to calibrate and there may be a software update to address this concern in the future" don't just say "normal". Part of th issue is how the op was treated not just the concern.
I have the same issue which annoys the shit out of my wife but not me which is why I haven't done anything about it.

I actually do agree. I think many more people would understand more if there was a reason involved.

The majority of the time my controls are just set to auto because they work rather well once you're acclimated to the system and know what your preferences are. Over-analyzed, but I know that when it's cool out I will prefer having the system off with the windows cracked or down, when it's cold (usually below 60-ish) I will prefer having the temp set to 72, and when it's warm (80+) I will prefer it at 69. Rarely ever is it set to anything other than those three settings in those three conditions, though if it's in the 30's or below I will usually turn on the seat heater.

Given those conditions, that's why I rarely have an issue or even notice it. I basically have to be driving my car when it's below 80 and above 60 with the system off, park it overnight (or sometimes during the day), and then turn the car on when it's later in the day and hot. Generally speaking, if that's the case my windows are rolled down before I hit the auto button and the blast of air isn't necessarily welcome but it's not hated either. It's just an occurrence.

Welcome to my CDO.

 

[TRev]

Actually, if it's considered normal then it's exactly what the car was designed to do. It may not be what other cars were designed to do, but that doesn't make it 'not-normal', only 'designed-differently'. I may not like the sound symposer on the FiST compared to the FoST, but just because they're designed differently doesn't make the the FiST 'not-normal'.

Purposefully designing a car with this behavior makes zero sense. While it may be a consistent characteristic of poor engineering and testing, saying that it is in any way normal is a matter of semantics and a way for Ford to sugar coat it. It's funny that you bring up the Acoustical Sound Symposer, a.k.a A.S.S. because I also own a FoST and the FoST has a known issue where the car's A.S.S. makes a beeping sound for prolonged periods of time even though the car is off. That was a "normal" characteristic of the FoST but it was fixed by Ford with a TSB.

OP-I just went out and tried this on both my FiST and FoST, both cars were set to off when I started them so that was their last position, and neither of them did it. With that being said, both cars are set to 69 degrees and ambient temp is 68, and I believe that the close proximity in temperatures is what leads to nothing drastic occurring. I know I've had it happen with both ST's, and I seem to remember it as a characteristic of both of my '12 Mk3 Focuses. I'm pretty sure that if I try it later in the day when it's warmer that I will get the blast of air.

I appreciate you providing that info. The behavior you are experiencing is much different than what I have experienced. I asked someone else who lives in warmer ambient conditions to test it and the behavior they experienced was a bit different as well so it seems it is not a consistent characteristic either. I started my vehicle this morning with outside ambient temp of 42 and tested. When the car was not at operating temperature, the fan speed was much lower regardless of where the temperature dial was set to and the air being blown from the vents did not feel as cold. As the car warmed up, the fan speed increased and eventually was blowing full speed regardless of temperature dial setting. The ambient temps here are starting to increase and should be close to the 69/70 range this weekend. I will do some more testing to see if I can recreate the behavior you experienced.

With that being said, this is a ridiculous gripe in the grand scheme of things. There are people concerned with failing engines, transmissions, brakes, oil in their charge pipes/intake, etc, and your worst problem is a few seconds of air blasted in your face that is rectified by taking a split second to reach up with both hands and shut vents prior to turning the system on-it's not like you don't know what's about to happen. There are numerous ways already mentioned in which you could alleviate the specific issue, but your refusal to do them doesn't mean that Ford should redesign the system..

Unless you have had a temperature sensitivity like I do, I would not expect you to understand how much of a concern it is to me. That same temperature sensitivity means that unlike many "normal" people, having three common settings that may accommodate someone "normal" like you does not work well for me. I would much rather deal with oil the charge pipes/intake then the HVAC behavior. I wear polyester thermal tops and bottoms and smart wool socks layered with normal clothes and still have the heat set between 75-80 in an effort to stay warm. If the car was blowing 80 degree air at me, the behavior would not concern me as much at all similar to what Mightymango mentions below.

Nonetheless, I hope you can get some resolution. I'm sure someone would love to have a reduced cost on buying a FiST that was condemned for environmental controls as opposed to a car that consistently overheated or any other legitimately worrisome complaint.

My attitude was much different prior to Ford not providing any helpful info. I shouldn't have to drive 2-3 hours to confirm behavior or turn to a car forum to get answers. Having gone through the experience with the FoST and them fixing its A.S.S. I didn't think updating the code for the PLC? would have been a huge endeavor...they seemed pretty eager to fix a beeping sound from something that is supposed to generate artificial noise. I have a friend who is an engineer and am going to bounce the concern off him to see how complex he thinks the resolution would be. I personally know of someone who had their car bought due to a dash rattle under Wisconsin Lemon Law. The law has since changed recently a bit but it is still pretty open to interpretation. I don't think it is too far fetched that a decision maker may have owned various cars with Auto climate control and never experienced a characteristic like this and will think it is abnormal nor would I be surprised if they haven't had a personal experience with someone who has a medical condition that makes them temperature sensitive.

 

[TRev]

I actually do agree. I think many more people would understand more if there was a reason involved.

I did ask why would it be designed this way and never received a response as well. The whole thing would have been more palatable had Ford offered some ways to work around it as well as an explanation for the behavior and/or an indication they would fix it in the future.

We design and build buildings for a living. I could just see us building a restaurant with vents over a dining table. Every time the system turned off and on, it blows ice cold air on the table for 12 seconds....yeah pretty sure that would not fly and if we didn't do anything about it would either find ourselves in litigation or losing that customer for life.

 

[Dyn085]

I'm not trying to discount your reasons or health concerns, there are plenty of issues that others have that I don't and just because I don't have them doesn't mean they don't exist. What I'm trying to say is that there are multiple different solutions to this that others have provided that you refuse to entertain or utilize. You see only one solution to the issue when there are multiple possibilities.

You complain about the auto system and how it isn't 'worth a damn', yet you keep using it. You can easily avoid the auto system altogether, especially where you say you constantly turn it on and off. All you have to do is adjust it to however, take it off auto, then cycle the regular system on and off with the power button to your hearts content. Or, shut your vents. Or, any of the other solutions.

You want to use this one relatively minor (in the scope of vehicle ownership) issue as the reason to not like any Ford, and I find that to be a bit asinine. I understand that you're frustrated, but it takes a lot of complaining before most brands will come up with a solution, and realistically-speaking I don't think many people are so concerned with it as to take it to Ford. Maybe I'm wrong and this is an epidemic that Ford just hasn't figured out how to solve, and if so then I'm sure there ell be a TSB to resolve it in the future.

I totally understand wanting to have a vehicle that operates 'as designed', but no one knows if it was designed this way. For all we know it could be a quick calibration (doubtful, but hypothetical nonetheless), and that would mean that it's operating correctly. Again, just because another brand operates differently (or similarly) means nothing.

As an example, I think it's dumb that the moonroof powers off before it's able to fully close or if I don't hit the switch within a split second of shutting the car off (FiST and FoST are slightly different, but both can power off before closed). My Nissan Armada stayed powered until the accessories shut off or until I opened the door, so just because my Ford's don't operate the same doesn't mean they're broke. Yes, it's inconvenient, but I've learned to make sure I shut it before shutting off the car.

 

[TRev]

I have tried utilizing both the automatic settings and manual settings and still find myself needing to turn the system off as with both settings the fan is constantly blowing. The only way I have found to turn the fan off is to shut the system off. Every time the system gets shut off in cold weather, it exhibits the symptoms above *whether using manual or auto settings*. I only see one solution because I have tried all the other possibilities...at least those mentioned along with a couple others too. In fact, the best way to mitigate the undesirable characteristic when ambient temps are below freezing is to use the fan dial turning towards low to activate the system. This keeps the fan from blowing full blast though it still draws in plenty of cold air. One of the reasons I said auto doesn't work worth a damn is because it doesn't in ambient temps below freezing which is a good 4-5 months where I live. If I use Auto, I need to switch it to manual to make sure to keep the windows from becoming to foggy/frosty. Check the owner's manual as this is normal described behavior. I am also adjusting the temp control through a range of about 10 degrees often and/or cycling the system off/on to keep things comfortable while being able to see where I am going all the while needing to close and reopen the dash vents. I have never had a vehicle that requires this much work to drive it in cold weather. I have only owned the car since January and it is just starting to warm up here. This weekend I took a 5 hour round trip and the ambient temps were between 65-70. Testing the on/off when ambient temp is almost equal to desired temp the fan was not coming on full blast. I would rather have it blast air at me when the temps are near ambient than when freezing out. It has an effect opposite of what would be considered desirable. If I lived where the ambient temps were more moderate, I could live with how the system works and wouldn't be here posting. I don't though and certainly don't have a desire to drive the car another winter here though prior to trying to work with Ford on it, I was hoping it would get resolved and would be driving the car still.

As to why I will likely never buy another Ford, it is all about the experience I have had with Ford customer care. What I got first was, that doesn't sound like how it should work. Their telling me it's normal, have a nice day. The second time didn't involve any of the it shouldn't work that way and was Mr Legal saying "this is normal behavior, have a nice day". No desire to look into it, no desire to explain it, no desire to convey that it could be improved upon in the future. If it was a characteristic of your Mk3 Focus, that certainly reaffirms the lack of desire to improve product. You may think my complaint is asinine, but I work with companies like Google that are eager to improve their products and find Ford's stance to call it normal and not explain it or care to improve it asinine. Plenty of people won't buy Ford long term due to Ford MyTouch not working well, is that asinine too? Everyone has different expectations and tolerances.

I am in a position to promote the vehicle I am driving and have no desire to do so after this experience with regard to Ford. I am pretty certain that I helped sell more than one FoST last year and have had a lot of people asking me of what I think of the FiST and Ford as a company this past weekend. Even had a guy telling me how I should be driving (promoting) a Mustang instead of the FiST.

 

[PeeK]

I just bought my Fiesta ST 6 hours ago and this exact problem happened to me on the drive home. Keeping it on auto and restarting doesn't help. No matter what I do, on auto it will, within about 5 minutes, start blowing ice cold outside air full blast. If turn it to manual lowest setting and 85 degrees it becomes lukewarm. I turned around immediately and brought it back to dealership and technician looked at it for 5 minutes pronounced it "fine, normal." Brand new Ford and I've got to schedule service already. Really hoping there is a fix for this. Not especially enjoying the prospect of add'l "it's fine nothing wrongs."